Contents

Background

McCareins was born December 11, 1978 in Evanston, Illinois. McCareins first attended Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois for one semester. He would then transfer to Naperville North High School where he was a teammate of current Titans running back Chris Brown. He was selected first-team all-conference, all-area and all-state during senior season at Naperville, where he caught 34 passes for 644 yards with five touchdowns and returned 21 kickoffs for 438 yards.

College

McCareins was a four-year starter at Northern Illinois who set school records in receptions (204), receiving yards (2,991), and touchdowns (29) and ranks fourth on all-time list in total touchdowns (30) and was one of three players in Northern Illinois history to gain more than 4,000 all-purpose yards (4,367). He totaled 13 100-yard games in his collegiate career and caught at least one pass in 39 of 44 career games.

NFL Career

Before the Jets

Tennessee originally drafted McCareins in the fourth round (#121 overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft. In 3 seasons with the Titans, McCareins had 69 receptions for 1202 yards, with 9 touchdowns.

As a Jet

McCareins scores

McCariens was obtained from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the Jets second round draft pick (#42 overall) in the 2004 NFL Draft. In 2004, he led the Jets in receiving with a career-high 56 catches. Posted 770 receiving yards and caught four touchdowns. Scored game-winning touchdown in Jets' Week 11 win at Cleveland. In 2005 McCareins only caught 43 passes compared to Laveranues Coles's 73 receptions. In 2006, Jerricho Cotchery's breakout pushed McCareins down the depth chart. In 2007 McCareins is widely regarded as a third WR at best, an attitude not helped by his nightmare game against Baltimore where he dropped two certain touchdown passes, dooming the Jets to defeat.

Justin McCareins was waived by the NY Jets on 02/26/08.

After the Jets

McDrops crawled back to Tennessee.

Regular Season Statistics

Year

Rush Att

Yds

Avg

TD

Lng

Receptions

Yards

Avg

TD

Lng

Kick Returns

Yards

Avg

TD

Lng

Punt returns

Yards

Avg

TD

Lng

2004

2

-5

-2.5

0

-2

56

770

13.8

4

43

0

0

0.0

0

0

14

88

6.3

0

6

2005

1

8

8.0

0

8

43

713

16.6

2

45

0

0

0.0

0

0

5

28

5.6

0

12

2006

0

0

0.0

0

0

23

347

15.1

1

50

0

0

0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2007

0

0

0.0

0

0

3

31

10.3

0

11

1

12

12.0

0

0

0

0

0.0

0

0

Total

3

3

1.0

0

8

125

1861

14.9

7

50

1

12

12.0

0

12

19

116

6.1

0

12

Playoff Statistics

Year

Rush Att

Yds

Avg

TD

Lng

Receptions

Yards

Avg

TD

Lng

Kick Returns

Yards

Avg

TD

Lng

Punt returns

Yards

Avg

TD

Lng

2004

0

0

0.0

0

0

13

169

13.0

0

43

0

0

0.0

0

0

0

0

0.0

0

0

2006

0

0

0.0

0

0

2

31

15.5

0

0

0

0.0

0

0

0

0

0.0

0

0

Total

0

0

0.0

0

0

15

200

13.3

0

0

0

0

0.0

0

0

0

0

0.0

0

0

Personal

Justin and his wife, Sherrone, have a son, Justin Jr. He is the older brother of former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jay McCareins.